A Google Toolbar Pagerank update is happening as I write this. The last PR update was around 3 months ago. It would be interesting to see if Google softens its tough stance on penalizing websites/blogs that sell links, or relaxes it a bit.
I already see a case of the latter with some blogs going back to their high PR. This blog for instance was a PR7 before the last PR upheaval and was penalized down to a PR4. I now see that it is a PR7 again. They seem to have removed the 30 odd outgoing links which were on their home page and I am sure this is what got back their PR.
Not that Pagerank is an all important factor that influences rankings, but it is a part of over 100 factors that Google considers in their ranking algorithm - an important part at that.
Share This
30.Apr.08 
Google 
Comments (0)
Since the past 10-15 days Google has been updating Pagerank. PR is updated every quarter by Google and this one has been long overdue.
Google seems to have devalued its PR ratings accross the board. PR8 sites are now PR6, PR5 sites have become PR4 or PR3 and so on. Rumors have it that Google is coming out with an alternative ranking algorithm code named ‘Webrank’. Interestingly, the Pagerank technology patent is owned by Stanford University and is licenced to Google for use until 2009.
Is that the reason Google wants to develop it’s own alternative website ranking system and the reason for this PR downgrade? Or is Google penalizing websites for selling links? Only ‘G’ knows 
Share This
05.Nov.07 Google Comments (0)
JenSense reports that a lot of Google Adsense users who had built sites for the sole purpose of profiting from Adsense Arbitrage, will have their accounts closed tomorrow.
“Numerous AdSense publishers have been receiving emails from Google the past couple of days stating that their use of their AdSense account is an unsuitable business model and that accounts would be disabled as of June 1st, giving publishers about two weeks notice to prepare for the loss of the AdSense accounts… and since it seems that arbitrage publishers are the ones receiving this account disabled email, to give those publisher enough time to shut down accounts or use an alternative source for their outgoing traffic”.
Adsense Arbitrage, also known as Clickflipping has been a hot earner for Internet marketers during the last 1 year or so. It involves buying cheap ads and redirecting traffic from these ads to high paying keywords.
For eg - Google Adwords has thousands of low cost keywords which are bought by these clickflippers at less than $.05/click and this cheap traffic is directed to a MFA web page targeted at a high paying keyword (’mortgage’ for eg.) which pays as high as $20/click. The idea is - even if a small percentage of people click on these high paying ads, the clickflipper turns a handsome profit.
The question is - was Google aware of this Arbitrage business? Why did Google not put an end to this before? Are they now cleaning up their act fearing a class action suit from Adwords advertisers?
Interestingly, Google settled a ‘Click fraud’ class action suit from Adwords advertisers last year reportedly paying over $90 million towards a settlement.
Share This
31.May.07 Google Comments (0)
